I was literally yelling my questions as he [Dr. Rony Elias] was perpetually running out the door. His bedside manner was forced at best, and I always felt as though he was trying to get me to commit to more medical intervention at every turn (i.e. multiple cycles and more $$$). Add this to the wait times, and it truly felt like a cattle call at every visit...I always felt rushed and not listened to...
The [Weill Cornell Medical College] facility was aesthetically fairly depressing and often didn't have enough seating for everyone waiting. In general most of the staff wasn't friendly and that includes the billing office which was wholly unhelpful (and I called 4 times before receiving a response)...The nursing staff was fine- but mostly felt very impersonal and rushed...There were communication issues about what I was doing and when- I was charged for appointments that were not necessary. Even though I repeatedly stated that I knew my body and knew my cycle, I felt unheard and disregarded.
How was your experience with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
I repeatedly asked Dr Elias whether my insurance would cover ultrasounds and office visits (one of which was incorrectly scheduled by the doctor because there had been a miscommunication- not my fault)- and they assured me it would be covered. It was not. I'm now left with thousands of dollars of bills in addition to the hefty cycle fees. When speaking to the billing office, they flat out said the office denied ever having made these claims, so now I have to pay not only for poor care but to a dishonest Doctor.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
I wouldn't wish this on anyone, hence this review- but especially not on women who are in the vulnerable position of TTC. My advice would be to look elsewhere.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
I always felt rushed and not listened to. I was literally yelling my questions as he was perpetually running out the door. His bedside manner was forced at best, and I always felt as though he was trying to get me to commit to more medical intervention at every turn (i.e. multiple cycles and more $$$). Add this to the wait times, and it truly felt like a cattle call at every visit.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Weill Cornell Medical College.
The nursing staff was fine- but mostly felt very impersonal and rushed.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
The facility was aesthetically fairly depressing and often didn't have enough seating for everyone waiting. In general most of the staff wasn't friendly and that includes the billing office which was wholly unhelpful (and I called 4 times before receiving a response).
Describe the costs associated with your care under Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College.
The costs for a thaw, testing, transfer and monitoring were hefty in the excess of 25K (not including egg freezing which I had done previously)
What specific things went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Lost appointments
Failed to call with results
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College.
There were communication issues about what I was doing and when- I was charged for appointments that were not necessary. Even though I repeatedly stated that I knew my body and knew my cycle, I felt unheard and disregarded.
Dr. Elias based my initial protocol based on the details of my tests and explained why he was making those choices. He then adapted my future protocol based on the response during the first cycle...His bedside manner is warm, open and honest. The few times I pushed back, he was open to understanding my point of view, adjusting the plan to meet my concerns or talking through until we were in agreement. He thought through our goals and treatment options in depth, but also allowed me to set goals and parameters around them and make decisions based on my individual priorities.
The [Weill Cornell Medical College] nursing staff was incredibly prompt and responsive. They left clear, detailed messages with instructions if I missed their call. I was able to reach out to them by both phone and email and always got a return call same day...I didn't always realize Dr. Elias would be in the city rather than the office, so occasionally came in expecting to see him and saw the nursing team only instead, which was fine as they are great, but would have preferred clearer communication around that sometimes.
How was your experience with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Elias is incredibly well educated and versed in the most recent research on all aspects of fertility and able to explain it very clearly to me as a patient. He always took his time to ensure that I fully understood the plan and had all my questions answered. His bedside manner is warm, open and honest. The few times I pushed back, he was open to understanding my point of view, adjusting the plan to meet my concerns or talking through until we were in agreement. He thought through our goals and treatment options in depth, but also allowed me to set goals and parameters around them and make decisions based on my individual priorities.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Don't be afraid to ask questions - he is always happy to answer them.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Elias based my initial protocol based on the details of my tests and explained why he was making those choices. He then adapted my future protocol based on the response during the first cycle. His staff was always available, both by phone and email, and got back to me promptly with explicit answers that showed they understood what was going on with me specifically.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Jane)
The nursing staff was incredibly prompt and responsive. They left clear, detailed messages with instructions if I missed their call. I was able to reach out to them by both phone and email and always got a return call same day, generally within a couple hours, sooner if it was anything clinically urgent (which was rare, because the clinical communication was so clear and proactive).
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
I didn't always realize Dr. Elias would be in the city rather than the office, so occasionally came in expecting to see him and saw the nursing team only instead, which was fine as they are great, but would have preferred clearer communication around that sometimes.
Dr.Elias was always patient and communicative...He always took the time to explain the next steps and when one cycle didn’t work he was always ready and willing to try something different. He always listened to and “heard” our concerns and made my husband and I very comfortable...We saw him for all monitoring in mount kisco and met the other doctors when monitoring in the city was more convenient or for some of the procedures...
I would always ask for her [nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College] when I left a message on the nurse line and was always happy to hear from her. She answered every question and was always very compassionate, especially when she was responsible for making difficult phone calls...At times, it was difficult to deal with the hospital side of things. Waiting for a call back or asking questions regarding insurance and such. I always got the information I needed but it was definitely easier to deal with Jessica, his office manager in mount kisco or Manar his office manager in the city, rather than the hospital staff.....
How was your experience with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr.Elias was always patient and communicative. I was drained and exhausted after leaving my first RE and he was a breath of fresh air. To be honest, I did not expect results.. I figured I would give a new dr a try just to see what would happen. He always took the time to explain the next steps and when one cycle didn’t work he was always ready and willing to try something different. He always listened to and “heard” our concerns and made my husband and I very comfortable.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
When we had our first consultation I was not thrilled about the fact that other doctors on his team rotate for retrievals and transfers. That was almost the thing that turned us away. But each doctor we meet was kinder and more knowledgeable than the next, it made sense that he would trust them with his patients. We saw him for all monitoring in mount kisco and met the other doctors when monitoring in the city was more convenient or for some of the procedures.
Don’t let that scare you, they truly were all amazing and the one that did my transfer clearly knew what he was doing, because I have a 6 month old baby girl in my arms as I write this.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
He always spoke to me with compassion and when the outcomes were not what we hoped for he always took the time to answer questions and discuss the steps moving forward without making us feel rushed. Every step felt like teamwork, rather than us just doing whatever he said.
Describe the protocols Rony Elias used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
My previous doctor only retrieved 1 egg in the 2 years I spent with him. My irregular cycles were never addressed and I was pumped with excessive meds with zero success. Dr.Elias told me that although my last experience wasn’t a good one, the information from my old RE would be very helpful to him and that I should not feel like it was wasted time.
He started with minimal meds and got results in the first cycle. He retrieved eggs 4 times and each time they were better and more mature. My previous doctor has recommended donor eggs. And told me I could not produce mature eggs because my follicles would shrink each month. (Little did I know, he was missing my ovulation window.)
Dr.Elias did cancel some cycles and use insemination when he didn’t think a retrieval would produce good enough eggs and I am so thankful for his honestly in doing that. He did but waste my time me my insurance benefits and always made honest decisions when taking steps in my treatment.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Jane)
Jane wasn’t exactly my primary care nurse, but I tried to make sure she was! I would always ask for her when I left a message on the nurse line and was always happy to hear from her. She answered every question and was always very compassionate, especially when she was responsible for making difficult phone calls.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
At times, it was difficult to deal with the hospital side of things. Waiting for a call back or asking questions regarding insurance and such. I always got the information I needed but it was definitely easier to deal with Jessica, his office manager in mount kisco or Manar his office manager in the city, rather than the hospital staff.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College.
I don’t know exactly because I had a lifetime cap on fertility treatment and I did. It meet that maximum. I do know that I had barely made a dent in it after my time with dr.Elias so I am assuming the cost was very reasonable.
Describe Rony Elias's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Dr.Elias strongly believes that embryos do better inside your body then they would in a lab. He is fond of three day transfers and will typically do fresh transfers if he doesn’t feel you need genetic testing. I was hesitant not to test my only good embryo after 5 years of treatment. Thankfully, I trusted him!
Dr. Elias was very understanding and empathetic with us and our situation. Both me and my husband had issues that had to be addressed and Dr. Elias not only calmly explained them to us, but also gave us the confidence that we needed during this fertility journey. We get the feeling that he genuinely cares for us...I'd recommend that you be on time (because he is), and write down the questions you want to ask so that you do not forget....
Weill Cornell seems to be a well-liked and top-rated fertility center both for male and female issues...doctors are highly qualified, competent, efficient and kind. They also seem to strongly prefer the least invasive and science/evidence-supported treatment strategies...a couple of the people in the billing office were often confused; our doctor had to personally step in to resolve issues...
How was your experience with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
First, of all doctors I have seen so far, Dr. Elias was the most punctual. Every single appointment started either on time or earlier. Also, compared to other doctors (regular, non-fertility) and clinics, his COVID prevention protocols are exemplary especially at the Westchester office. You go there, swipe a card and wait in your car. He gives you a call when he is ready to see you and you go directly into the exam/ultrasound room. Same protocol for blood draws, nurse visits, etc.
Second, he was well prepared for all our appointments. For example, for our first appointment, he had already reviewed our medical history in detail. My husband had seen Dr. Kashanian at Weill Cornell for his male factor issues. Dr. Elias had reviewed his charts and spoken to Dr. Kashanian prior to our appointment. I got the same feeling at each subsequent appointment. He and his nurses/assistants seem to maintain meticulous notes and co-ordinate very well.
As for the treatment itself, I appreciate that he diagnosed our problems precisely, and recommended the least invasive course of treatment -- IUI. He was very candid about the success rate, and recommended that we try it before moving on to more intensive treatments.
I do not have insurance coverage for fertility treatments; he empathized with our situation and kept affordability in mind while making recommendations. In the case of injectable medications, he recommended a mail order pharmacy that was very very affordable (even compared to prices on GoodRx).
In summary, I will not hesitate to recommend him to any couple who are struggling to start a family.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
I'd recommend that you be on time (because he is), and write down the questions you want to ask so that you do not forget.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Elias was very understanding and empathetic with us and our situation. Both me and my husband had issues that had to be addressed and Dr. Elias not only calmly explained them to us, but also gave us the confidence that we needed during this fertility journey. We get the feeling that he genuinely cares for us.
Describe the protocols Rony Elias used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
I had anovulation due to PCOS, and my husband had low sperm count and low morphology. The initial course of treatment for us was letrozole + ovulation monitoring + trigger + IUI and it was successful.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
Weill Cornell seems to be a well-liked and top-rated fertility center both for male and female issues. We chose it based on recommendations from our primary care providers and Google/FertilityIQ reviews.
Regarding strengths, I would say that their doctors are highly qualified, competent, efficient and kind. They also seem to strongly prefer the least invasive and science/evidence-supported treatment strategies.
I would say that they have three main areas of improvement: (1) a couple of the people in the billing office were often confused; our doctor had to personally step in to resolve issues (2) For male factor issues, they have three excellent doctors, but two do not accept most insurance plans and (3) they do not have many locations up North.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College.
I'm not sure if I can reveal the exact numbers. I don't have insurance coverage for fertility treatments, and their self-pay prices were very reasonable.
Dr Elias has spent much time answering my questions and giving his thoughts relative to the various possibilities...[he] was compassionate but realistic and forthcoming about what he knew, from his medical knowledge and experience, technically happened and how we could try to change the circumstances the next time. I am a very analytical person, so it made the process a lot easier to hear the logic and thought process behind my care and the results instead of just being placated by fluffy broad assurances.
There are a lot of resources to address all levels and answer various questions. If you leave a question on the answering service someone [at Weill Cornell Medical College] will get back to you by that evening...even though I met with just one of the DRs as my primary, there were regular team conversations about patients and the different issues that would come up, which puts a lot of experience and intelligence together to help solve your issue
How was your experience with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
I very much appreciate Dr Elias's approach. All of these DRs see a lot of patients yet he is still very in tune to my specific case and progress. His honesty and upfront sharing of medical information about what is going on at any given point of the cycle is extremely reassuring. This is an art more than it is medicine and there are differing opinions as to the validity and importance of various reasons for infertility. Dr Elias has spent much time answering my questions and giving his thoughts relative to the various possibilities. He is obviously very knowledgeable and current, but as this is all really a mystery (definitively why it works for some and not for others) I am not sure if my lack of success is just because of my series of conditions and it won't ever happen regardless of any medical intervention, or if there is something medically that can be done but just hasn't been identified / explored yet. I believe that if the latter is the case, I will have to go to another DR who specializes in my conditions (reproductive immunology to deal with endometriosis and chronic miscarriages). Overall, I trust in his opinions, I can't express enough the value in his willingness to be frank and earnest with his knowledge, but also concise, and his genuine care for the patient / circumstance and belief in the charted course of treatment. After 3 cycles, and 2 pregnancies and 2 losses, he was extremely generous with his time and worked with me to attempt a 3rd (which unfortunately also was successful but resulted in a loss). I am grateful for his time and effort. I am just not sure I can attempt it again (emotionally or financially) without some meaningful change either to my situation or the understanding of my situation, which may be a slim chance.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Don't be afraid to ask questions. He will answer them. He is a fertility DR with many areas of specialty, but he, like anyone, doesn't cover them all. There are many differing opinions out there, and as a patient, it is hard to know which opinion to believe or follow b/c we can hear a whole spectrum on just one issue. So be sure to discuss what your specific circumstances are and he will be upfront about where he lands on the issue, especially relative to your case.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr Elias would take the time to consider my case and discuss it and various options with me. He was detailed if I asked and upfront. There is so much that is unknown about this process and what makes it work or not, so it obviously is hard pinpointing a specific reason. Dr Elias was compassionate but realistic and forthcoming about what he knew, from his medical knowledge and experience, technically happened and how we could try to change the circumstances the next time. I am a very analytical person, so it made the process a lot easier to hear the logic and thought process behind my care and the results instead of just being placated by fluffy broad assurances.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Jane)
The operation at the Upper East side location is generally systematic and organized. Busy, but this is all they do, so there is a clear process. There are a lot of resources to address all levels and answer various questions. If you leave a question on the answering service someone will get back to you by that evening. It is hard to get in touch with someone directly, but if your question can wait until the afternoon, it will get answered. The nursing staff is very knowledgeable and helpful with any questions as well. Even the most strange and embarrassing questions. They are in regular contact with the DR and his team about daily medicine changes and protocol and those directions are relayed every afternoon. The insurance team is also on top of their game and truly do the heavy lifting when it comes to the insurance and pre-authorization end of things. Really crucial. It really can be an impressive system. I can't say that I met with my primary nurse more than a few times, but I spoke to her on the phone on a regular basis, and became familiar with the other nurses who would answer my questions and perform daily monitoring regularly too. Dr Elias's Mount Kisco location is a little more personal, obviously smaller. Same faces. Friendly if you want to interact but respectfully distant if you don't. They run a tight ship at that office, but are very accommodating and flexible if you need assistance.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
They are one of the larger fertility organizations. They are large enough to be very systematic and organized, but could be as personal or distant as you want to get out of the process. It is my understanding that even though I met with just one of the DRs as my primary, there were regular team conversations about patients and the different issues that would come up, which puts a lot of experience and intelligence together to help solve your issue. At the same time, I do believe they have the volume and case study to see most of the infertility puzzles out there, I think the team's focus is on perfecting the "majority case" process. I don't want to say it is a baby factory b/c I did not get that impression there as I did at a few other clinics, but their business is in volume so I don't think they are as focused on the much more specialized cases as much. Plus, as they are larger and more institutional, they are maybe not as experimental (coloring outside the lines) as a smaller operation might be willing to explore. I could be wrong, but I didn't get the impression that there was a real next level of investigation to uncover the reason for my ability to get pregnant but consistent miscarriages, sort of a really well explained and defensible encouragement to keep trying the same process. And maybe that is right and I am just tired from the emotional, physical and financial turmoil and hoping for some more answers where there are not any? Each DR within this clinic is different and has a different focus so maybe it depends on the DR you chose. I do know that they do not offer package deals like some of the other clinics do, so unless you have insurance or are willing to pay out of pocket for each cycle, no matter how many, there are no efficiencies of scale or deals. But in exchange you do get the strength of the Weil Cornell hospital and resources behind you, which is significant, especially considering the potential risks / complications of the procedures you go through on a regular basis.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Monitoring hours are early and pretty busy. I don't live close to either location, so it was always at least and hour to two hour drive to get there. There were times I was late and they would accommodate. There could also be long waits. I hate needles but the nurses were very accomplished and low pain.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College.
I used donor sperm, so I believe IVF was around $20-25K per cycle depending on the "add-ons". I don't have fertility benefits to my health insurance policy but insurance did cover some visits and other more general coded things I believe. The required psych exam was $170, crypres was $1,050, $10,500 for IVF, $2,600 of ICSI, $650 for the sounding, around $1,000 for the hospital fee for the retrieval, $3400 for the drugs that my health insurance didn't cover, and about $2,000 for at least 2 vials of donor sperm (required for IVF). I think the genetic testing was around another $5,000 which I did not do. IUI was significantly less as a Weill Cornell fee. I can't remember exactly but I think closer to $1,500-2,000? I know it was $725 for the sperm thaw and implantation fee (the day of).
Dr. Elias is kind, professional and yet personable and puts you at ease the moment you meet him...He does speak rather quickly but if you ask him to clarify anything he said that you may have missed he will absolutely take the time to explain...really understands the financial burden of this and if he can help, he will...Now that I am pregnant I am devastated he won’t be the one following me through my pregnancy. I have never felt more comfortable with a doctor.
The office [at Weill Cornell Medical College] runs very smoothly and I was always in and out within 15-20 minutes and the staff there were always efficient and friendly....The office works like a well oiled machine. For the days I had to visit the upper east side location for monitoring on weekends (Mt. Kisco is closed) or for procedures such as IUI’s and IVF, parking was a bit of a hassle. They have a parking garage but don’t accept SUV’s.
How was your experience with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Elias is kind, professional and yet personable and puts you at ease the moment you meet him. He is undoubtedly knowledgeable in his field and I hold him in the highest regard. Dr. Elias didn’t just get to know me as a patient, but as a person who was clearly frustrated and scared entering the world of infertility. He does speak rather quickly but if you ask him to clarify anything he said that you may have missed he will absolutely take the time to explain. I honestly could write an essay on how wonderful he is. There isn’t enough I can say about him. I feel very blessed I landed in his office. There is no one else I would rather be working with on my journey to having a child.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Write down all questions you have before any appointment. Your first meeting with him is lengthier and you will have more time to ask your list of questions but monitoring appointments go quickly. If you don’t jot your questions you may not have a moment to remember to ask them.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Elias gets to know you and your partner like a person who genuinely cares about you and your struggles. He remembers small details like no other doctor has ever remembered. Now that I am pregnant I am devastated he won’t be the one following me through my pregnancy. I have never felt more comfortable with a doctor.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Weill Cornell Medical College.
I primarily dealt with Sherma, Lisa and Jane and I loved every single one of them. They were friendly, informative and they got back to me so quickly when I needed refills on my meds or had any general concerns or questions. I actually looked forward to seeing them and talking to them on the phone.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
I went to the office in Mt. Kisco and the upper east side. Since I live in Westchester, getting to the Mt. Kisco office was very easy and always had parking which is a plus. Mornings for monitoring are busy but I find the earlier you get there the less likely you are to have to wait. Jessica at the front desk keeps the office spotless and she is friendly and equally organized which made life so much easier. The office works like a well oiled machine. For the days I had to visit the upper east side location for monitoring on weekends (Mt. Kisco is closed) or for procedures such as IUI’s and IVF, parking was a bit of a hassle. They have a parking garage but don’t accept SUV’s. The office runs very smoothly and I was always in and out within 15-20 minutes and the staff there were always efficient and friendly.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College.
My insurance covered everything except for the freezing of my embryo. I had to pay a co-pay every visit which is to be expected but I will say that at one point it looked like I was going to have to pay for IVF out of pocket and they did everything they could to help me with the cost of medications. Dr. Elias really understands the financial burden of this and if he can help, he will.
Dr. Elias takes time to get to know his patients and truly seems to understand the weight infertility bears on the person struggling. He is compassionate and positive...He recommended an HSG due to recurrent chemical pregnancies - something that was not taken seriously at the previous clinic. Everything he explained at that first meeting made the eventual path to a bilateral salpingectomy and IVF easier. He was a partner in treatment and allowed us to try medicated timed intercourse for a year before moving ahead with surgery and IVF.
The 7:30 morning monitoring time [at Weill Cornell] is rough if you work in the city or at a job that starts earlier. The first come first serve model is difficult to manage but most patients are courteous lining up. Jessica at the front desk is personable and extremely helpful in getting you set up as a patient...Lisa and Jan [nurses] were always prompt in returning calls and answering questions. They were also positive in their communications.
How was your experience with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
I don’t know where to begin with explaining how incredible Dr. Elias is in practice and in general. I’d previously gone to a fertility clinic that felt very impersonal and rushed. It put off treatment for me for years until I decided on a whim to see Dr. Elias. From the start he took time to describe what the next steps would be and what the possibilities for treatment would entail based on my anecdotal and medical history. He recommended an HSG due to recurrent chemical pregnancies - something that was not taken seriously at the previous clinic. Everything he explained at that first meeting made the eventual path to a bilateral salpingectomy and IVF easier. He was a partner in treatment and allowed us to try medicated timed intercourse for a year before moving ahead with surgery and IVF. Despite my fears of being medically sterile, I got pregnant my first IVF cycle and am currently home with my week old son. Dr. Elias is an extremely knowledgeable doctor that stays up to date with treatments. I’ve also never experienced a doctor until meeting him who actually spends time to thoroughly review your chart before meeting with you. There is not enough good I can say about Dr. Elias - he made a miracle happen, but even when we were in the seemingly endless treatment cycles we had hope and trust in him to keep us going.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Write down any questions you have before meeting with him, morning monitoring with him goes quickly, as it should, so it helps to be prepared.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Elias takes time to get to know his patients and truly seems to understand the weight infertility bears on the person struggling. He is compassionate and positive.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Lisa)
Lisa and Jan were always prompt in returning calls and answering questions. They were also positive in their communications.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
The 7:30 morning monitoring time is rough if you work in the city or at a job that starts earlier. The first come first serve model is difficult to manage but most patients are courteous lining up. Jessica at the front desk is personable and extremely helpful in getting you set up as a patient.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Monitoring was very efficient, considering the doctor himself was doing the monitoring. Some mornings can be busier than others but I never waited more than a half hour.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Cost was as expected for fertility treatment in this area. Unfortunately (specific to my situation) while Dr. Elias and monitoring at the Westchester office was covered by my insurance, Weill Cornell in Manhattan was not so I had to pay out of pocket for all IVF related treatments.
Describe Rony Elias's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Weill Cornell Medical College.
eSET made absolute sense for my situation and his rationale behind it was completely correct.
I was warmly greeted by the doctor [Dr. Elias] by name and handshake. He took over an hour to explain all the details of my specific case and my available options. This doctor is not only interested in solving the problem, but to ensure the patient's level of comfort...After reviewing all of my documentation he was able to provide a potential diagnosis....not a fibroid at all but rather a blocked Fallopian tube. Not only could this be causing my pain, but could be the reason my IVF cycle was unsuccessful. He is thoughtful, cautious, kind, caring and patient. All the things that a doctor should be. I am willing to drive from LI to Westchester for him to be my doctor.
[Weill Cornell] does not accept my insurance plan so I was a self-pay patient...I was told that I had to pay upfront and then get a form that I could submit to my insurance for reimbursement...The office staff was organized in explaining and obtaining the necessary paperwork. I was seen by the provider in a timely manner in relation to my appointment. I do wish that the office had a direct # that is not affiliated with the main # for NY Presby/Weill Cornell. I had received a phone call the morning of my appointment that I missed. When I called back the # I spoke to the answering service telling me the office was closed when I just received a message.
How was your experience with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
I have always experienced pain in the area of my right ovary at first during when I thought I was ovulating. Over the years this pain got progressively worse and more frequent. I was told by my OB/GYN that it was a uterine fibroid on the outside of the uterus in the back and it was sitting on a blood vessel. I sought
fertility treatment from the Chief of a well known health system on LI. He advised me that he wasn't sure it was a fibroid, but rather it was a "mass". An MRI of the Pelvis showed absolutely nothing but the pain was even occurring during my period. I had a round of IVF in which I had 13 mature egg and all of them fertilized. A grade A embryo was implanted and it didn't take. We were devastated to say the least. I sought Dr. Elias for a 2nd opinion as I knew something was not right. After reviewing all of my documentation he was able to provide a potential diagnosis....not a fibroid at all but rather a blocked Fallopian tube. Not only could this be causing my pain, but could be the reason my IVF cycle was unsuccessful. He is thoughtful, cautious, kind, caring and patient. All the things that a doctor should be. I am willing to drive from LI to Westchester for him to be my doctor.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Don't be afraid to voice your concerns or questions as he is very willing to listen and give an explanation in layman's terms.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
I was warmly greeted by the doctor by name and handshake. He took over an
hour to explain all the details of my specific case and my available options. This doctor is not only interested in solving the problem, but to ensure the patient's level of comfort.
Describe the protocols Rony Elias used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
Dr. Elias has prescribed a HSG to confirmed discussed diagnosis. Based on the results a Hysteroscopy is possible.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Weill Cornell Medical College.
I have not had any interaction with the nursing staff at this clinic as I have not
gotten past the testing stage.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
The office staff was organized in explaining and obtaining the necessary paperwork. I was seen by the provider in a timely manner in relation to my appointment. I do wish that the office had a direct # that is not affiliated with the main # for NY Presby/Weill Cornell. I had received a phone call the morning of my appointment that I missed. When I called back the # I spoke to the answering service telling me the office was closed when I just received a message.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Dr. Elias does not accept my insurance plan so I was a self-pay patient. My plan does have out-of-network benefits, however, I was told that I had to pay upfront and then get a form that I could submit to my insurance for reimbursement.
Describe Rony Elias's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Dr. Elias explained that due to a number of factors including advanced maternal age as well as other medical issues I would be prudent to only transfer one embryo for not only a positive outcome for pregnancy but to my long term health.
Dr. Elias always made us feel comfortable. My husband and I had multiple appointments with him because of my pre-ops for my fibroid surgeries, lap, etc. He has great bed side manner, he's very kind, compassionate and extremely patient. We always knew the success rates going in which helped when a treatment didn't work and he always took the time to thoroughly explain everything...I truly feel he genuinely cares about his patients and ask my husband, he was the only person that could calm me down.
They [nurses at Weill Cornell] were great to work with and when I called multiple times for follow up questions, they always called me back the same day...the Mt. Kisco office would get crowded during monitoring appointments, but it was more of a personal feel getting to see Dr. Elias (being able to ask your own DR questions). NYC office was always packed, but they always moved pretty quick...IUI was ~750, IVF cycle was approximately 10k for one cycle plus injections were ~6k
How was your experience with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
We would not be expecting our little boy in December if it wasn't for Dr. Elias. We will forever be grateful to him. Dr. Elias always called me to follow up after surgeries and several times when i freaked out over results. I truly feel he genuinely cares about his patients and ask my husband, he was the only person that could calm me down. You just feel a sense of comfort when he's talking to you. Dr. Elias is also extremely patient - pretty sure i repeated several questions over multiple appointments and he always answered them without hesitation. Although morning monitoring was fast, i never felt he rushed me without answering my questions. Dr. Elias was able to remove my fibroid with three minimally invasive hysteroscopic surgeries. After multiple IUI's and laparoscopic surgery which confirmed my blocked tube, we ended up doing IVF. Dr. Elias never made us feel rushed to move onto the next step until we were ready, but also gave us his honest opinion, which i really appreciated. The first IVF cycle ended in a CP, but was my first FET was a natural unmediated cycle and it was a success.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Don't be afraid to ask him questions or give him your opinion on research you found, etc. He really takes the time to address your concerns so that you can understand his protocol, etc. He's happy to repeat himself though if you don't understand what he says the first time.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Elias always made us feel comfortable. My husband and I had multiple appointments with him because of my pre-ops for my fibroid surgeries, lap, etc. He has great bed side manner, he's very kind, compassionate and extremely patient. We always knew the success rates going in which helped when a treatment didn't work and he always took the time to thoroughly explain everything.
Describe the protocols Rony Elias used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
1 clomid cycle and TI, 5 IUI cycles of 100mg Clomid (1 was 150mg Clomid). We were going to move forward with IVF after 4th IUI but we missed deadline due to time of year. For IVF: 150iu Gonal F, Menopour 75, Cetrotide. 17 eggs retrieved, 14 mature, 12 fertilized with ICSI, 10 made it to blastocyst. Fresh cycle ended in a CP, Frozen was un-medicated with 1 BL and it was a success.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Lisa and Jane )
Lisa and Jane are Dr. Elias's two IVF NYC Nurses that call to give daily updates. They also called me for IUI next steps as well. They were great to work with and when I called multiple times for follow up questions, they always called me back the same day.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
If you can try to go to the Mt. Kisco office for morning monitoring because you get to see Dr. Elias for US and Blood work everyday except Thursday's and weekends. The NYC main office is more of the factory feel and you get a different doctor or nurse each time. They are extremely fast though because there are so many NP's there.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Already stated above, but the Mt. Kisco office would get crowded during monitoring appointments, but it was more of a personal feel getting to see Dr. Elias (being able to ask your own DR questions). NYC office was always packed, but they always moved pretty quick.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College.
IUI was ~750, IVF cycle was approximately 10k for one cycle plus injections were ~6k, plus ICSI was ~2,500, Frozen cycle was ~4k. Insurance covered Fibroid surgeries, lap, IUI and IVF but i had to pay until we hit our out of pocket max.
Describe Rony Elias's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Dr. Elias strongly recommended SET due to my age even after my fresh cycle ended in a CP.
He [Dr. Elias] has a great bedside manner and is highly responsive to any concerns or questions...I really felt that I was in the best possible care with his knowledge, ability, and expertise...is more than happy to share his knowledge - ask questions!...had a very positive outlook given the results and I appreciate that he had developed a strategy for the next IVF round during our follow up after the genetic results...
Considering the results [at Weill Cornell], the embryologist and the lab were excellent...Weekend monitoring on the UES was painless as the wait time was quick and the nurses always pleasant... loved going to the Mt. Kisco office which was much more intimate and the team there is fantastic. It felt like a family practice...They [nurses] were consistent and very considerate with regard to advice for my medication as I was paying out of pocket (advising on the more cost effective pharmacies). I received very quick responses to all my emails. I als
How was your experience with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Elias offered a lot of guidance throughout the process, and took the time to explain his diagnosis, recommendation, as well as what to expect during the various stages of the cycle. He was highly compassionate and very human. I was fortunate to see him for almost every monitoring and he performed the retrieval. He was committed to delivering the best results and based on his protocol, his initial assumptions were spot on. I really felt that I was in the best possible care with his knowledge, ability, and expertise.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Elias is more than happy to share his knowledge - ask questions!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Elias is great listener and thoughtful about his approach to treatment. I had previously seen another RE that had discouraged me from IVF due to my age, and relative AMH and AFC; however, Dr. Elias had a positive outlook from the onset which made a huge impact in the process. He assessed HSG records from specialists that I had seen previously and where others failed to, he educated me on the results with his recommendation. He has a great bedside manner and is highly responsive to any concerns or questions.
Describe the protocols Rony Elias used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
Estrogen priming antagonist protocol with 150 Gonal-F, 150 Menopur and Cetrotide. Trigger with HCG/Lupron. 8 mature eggs retrieved, 6 embryos, and 5 day 5 blasts. Shockingly positive results for my age and have to acknowledge the excellent work of Dr. Elias, his team, and the lab. All were aneuploidy and unfortunately in this case, I was a statistic of my age group. However, Dr. Elias still had a very positive outlook given the results and I appreciate that he had developed a strategy for the next IVF round during our follow up after the genetic results.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Lisa Artusa)
Lisa and Jane were great and communicated with a lot of positivity and high energy. They were consistent and very considerate with regard to advice for my medication as I was paying out of pocket (advising on the more cost effective pharmacies). I received very quick responses to all my emails. I also loved going to the Mt. Kisco office which was much more intimate and the team there is fantastic. It felt like a family practice.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
Considering the results, the embryologist and the lab were excellent. I would assume that my rate of conversion from egg -->embryo-->blast is on the higher range of success for any clinic. Weekend monitoring on the UES was painless as the wait time was quick and the nurses always pleasant.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Dr Elias is a very good listener who is willing to do everything he can to achieve our goals together. Our situation is very complicated with very low chances to conceive, but he never made us feel that it was impossible. He's ready to explore every treatment, every solution for us to get pregnant. I will never change for another doctor because he's really aware of our situation and always tries to do the best for us.
This clinic [Weill Cornell] strengths are that they are really advanced on a technological, medical, research basis. The lab is really amazing and always try to improve, find new treatments. ... Weaknesses are the costs of course... You have to pay for success. Some people find also that it's like a factory because there is so much women and patient who are dealing with that and sometimes you will maybe have the feeling to be treated like a number.
How was your experience with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
As I said before, he's willing to try everything for us to get pregnant. I am deeply convinced that he thinks of our situation outside our appointments with him, because he always come back with new solutions or treatment. I have a really good feeling with him and give him all of my trust. I am truly convinced that if I get pregnant one day, it will be with his help.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Don't hesitate to ask him everything you wish for. He will find a way if he can. I believe he's truly a good person beside his doctor qualifications.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr Elias is a very good listener who is willing to do everything he can to achieve our goals together. Our situation is very complicated with very low chances to conceive, but he never made us feel that it was impossible. He's ready to explore every treatment, every solution for us to get pregnant. I will never change for another doctor because he's really aware of our situation and always tries to do the best for us.
Describe the protocols Rony Elias used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
I don't have any trouble to conceive, but my husband has. On the first IVF round, we didn't find any sperm to try a embryo transfer. Later, he got in touch with my husband's doctor and find some new way to create sperm. So we got one embryo to transfer. Didn't get pregnant. During next years, we had the chance to have some more embryo to transfer, I did two transfer of two embryo (day 3 each) . Didn't get pregnant either. Now I think he wants to change something, I will have to see with him next time.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Lisa Artusa and Jane Mary Taraf )
At first I was communicating with Lisa Artusa, she was really sweet, caring and always there when I had questions. It's been two years or so now that a new nurse came (Jane Mary Taraf) and she is also amazing. Always there, responsive, so sweet. I have some trouble for my bloodworks because I have some really little veins. I almost faint everytime and she's here to take care of me, she stays until everything is over and she has so much compassion. Thanks God she's here! I feel like I can tell her everything.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
This clinic strengths are that they are really advanced on a technological, medical, research basis. The lab is really amazing and always try to improve, find new treatments. If you are dealing with a severe trouble to conceive, don't hesitate one second to go to them because they will surely find a way to get out. Weaknesses are the costs of course... You have to pay for success. Some people find also that it's like a factory because there is so much women and patient who are dealing with that and sometimes you will maybe have the feeling to be treated like a number. But I will definitely tell you something, most of fertility clinics are like that. This doesn't bother me or my husband, but I can understand that some women prefer more intimacy.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Sometimes it's really crowded and you have to wait a little but it's really not that long. Doctors are very professional during ultrasound and nurses very caring for bloodworks.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College.
I really can't tell because he's part of general costs that we pay for IVF.
Describe Rony Elias's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Weill Cornell Medical College.
I'm young (28) and when I started IVF with him I was 25, he insists of not putting a lot of embryo at the same time; he prefer to put one, or maximum two.
Dr Elias always explained everything perfectly to my knowledge level so that I understood the process every step of the way. He is both extremely knowledgeable and kind. My interactions with Dr Elias always felt sincere...approached my IUIs with care. He recommended I have surgery to remove my uterine polyp. He explained that the polyp wasn’t necessarily causing the infertility, however the process of removing would increase the likelihood of pregnancy. He was 100% right. I got pregnant the very next cycle.
Strong Knowledge base at [Weill Cornell Medical College]. Clean facility. Reception staff could be friendlier. They do see lots of women. Be sure to Arrive early to avoid a wait on bloodwork/ultrasound days. Keep track of billing. It can get confusing...No explainable infertility so we tried IUI before going to IVF. After 2 rounds a uterine polyp developed. Dr Elias recommended surgery to remove. I wanted to try one more IUI. That didn’t work so we moved forward with the surgery. After removal, I got pregnant the next IUI. I was never pressured to do IVF. Had a successful pregnancy after 4 IUIs. I did not react well to clomid and had to take injections.
Clinic Nps
How was your experience with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr Elias had a way of making me feel like I was his only patient. He was thorough, informative, and approached my IUIs with care. He recommended I have surgery to remove my uterine polyp. He explained that the polyp wasn’t necessarily causing the infertility, however the process of removing would increase the likelihood of pregnancy. He was 100% right. I got pregnant the very next cycle. Dr Elias also performed the surgery as well to remove the polyp. One of my IUIs was done by a different doctor in the practice and I did not have a good experience. I explained this to Dr Elias who happened to be in the office the day of my next IUI. He made sure to do that one himself as he knew I was uneasy after the last time. He did not have to do that and I was very appreciative. After success and having a beautiful baby girl, I am back again with Dr Elias hoping for another successful IUI.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr Elias is great. Just listen to his advice!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr Elias always explained everything perfectly to my knowledge level so that I understood the process every step of the way. He is both extremely knowledgeable and kind. My interactions with Dr Elias always felt sincere.
Describe the protocols Rony Elias used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
No explainable infertility so we tried IUI before going to IVF. After 2 rounds a uterine polyp developed. Dr Elias recommended surgery to remove. I wanted to try one more IUI. That didn’t work so we moved forward with the surgery. After removal, I got pregnant the next IUI. I was never pressured to do IVF. Had a successful pregnancy after 4 IUIs. I did not react well to clomid and had to take injections.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
Strong Knowledge base. Clean facility. Reception staff could be friendlier. They do see lots of women. Be sure to Arrive early to avoid a wait on bloodwork/ultrasound days. Keep track of billing. It can get confusing.
Dr. Elias has great bedside manner and always took the time to answer my questions and explain things in a way I could understand. He always seems as though he genuinely cares. ... I feel he was careful to tailor my protocols just for me, and adjusted them for next time when it wasn’t working. He took the time to call me personally after my first egg retrieval, and again after my D&C to see how I was doing. I really appreciated that personal touch.
Cornell is a large clinic and a well-oiled machine. They know their stuff. Monitoring generally moves very quickly, as they have a large nursing staff. A doctor almost always does all your ultrasounds, but may not always be your primary doc. Egg retrievals and transfers are done by the doc on-call that day. I found all the docs to be very good. The clinic is associated with New York Presbyterian, which I found to be an absolutely wonderful hospital.
How was your experience with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
I feel Dr. Elias is very knowledgeable and I trusted him completely with my care. He always takes as much time with you as you need to ask questions. He actually seems to care. I feel he was careful to tailor my protocols just for me, and adjusted them for next time when it wasn’t working. He took the time to call me personally after my first egg retrieval, and again after my D&C to see how I was doing. I really appreciated that personal touch. I also liked that he did most of my monitoring ultrasounds, rather than an ultrasound tech.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Be proactive and ask questions. He has no problem explaining things in a way you can understand.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Elias has great bedside manner and always took the time to answer my questions and explain things in a way I could understand. He always seems as though he genuinely cares.
Describe the protocols Rony Elias used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
We did 4 rounds of IVF, first 3 with the estrogen priming antagonist protocol (Menopur, Follistim, Ganirelix). For the fourth cycle, we added clomid for the first 5 days. I responded best on the first cycle (3 eggs), poor response the next 2 (one egg each), and a little better on the fourth (2 eggs). We did get pregnant from our very first cycle (transferred 2 day 3s, one stuck), but ended in miscarriage at 8 weeks from trisomy 15. Second cycle was a chemical, third I had a positive hpt but negative beta (likely another chemical), fourth cycle a BFN. A few weeks after our 4th cycle, we managed to get pregnant on our own and I’m currently 8 weeks along. I feel as though maybe the fertility treatments may have helped.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Lisa Artusa)
Lisa, Dr. Elias’s main IVF nurse, is ok. I generally felt pretty rushed when talking on the phone with her and occasionally she gave incorrect information. I really like Jane, one of the other nurses. The nursing staff in general is great at this clinic.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
Cornell is a large clinic and a well-oiled machine. They know their stuff. Monitoring generally moves very quickly, as they have a large nursing staff. A doctor almost always does all your ultrasounds, but may not always be your primary doc. Egg retrievals and transfers are done by the doc on-call that day. I found all the docs to be very good. The clinic is associated with New York Presbyterian, which I found to be an absolutely wonderful hospital.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Monitoring in Westchester is pretty quick, as it’s a small satellite office. Monitoring in NYC also is generally pretty quick, as they have a large nursing staff. There are a lot more patients in the main NYC office, but the waiting area is comfortable. Monitoring is very early (6:30-8:30 in the city and 7:30-9 in Westchester).
Describe the costs associated with your care under Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College.
We were lucky to have infertility coverage through insurance, so we only paid copays.
What specific things went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College.
There was just one instance where a nurse did not call in the afternoon with instructions for that night. Not a huge deal, I just called the emergency line and someone called me back.
my left tube was completely blocked, Black, twisted, a total mess and had to be removed. I wish Dr Elias had been more aggressive and gone with his gut feeling after the HSG that the tube was not right and recommended a lap from the beginning (which I would have been fine with) - especially since previous to developing the tube issue developing, I’d always gotten pregnant on the first month of trying (although many ended in miscarriage).
Dr Elias [at Weill Cornell Medical College] said with my age, 42, he recommended day 3 transfer of 3-4 embryos to give me the best chance of pregnancy (embryos do better back in the body) and PGS testing on remaining embryos to freeze...They have an excellent lab, are organized. Definitely felt like a number in the NYC office, but the Mt Kisco satellite office was much more personable. Often very long waits for monitoring at the NYC upper east side and a complete cattle call. Monitoring hours were 7-9am which was tough for me to make.
How was your experience with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr Elias is extremely intelligent and knows his stuff. Among other tests, he did a HSG and felt one of my tubes was questionable and told me I would need a lap. However, when the radiologist read the images, the radiologist read them as normal. Dr Elias then said we should hold off on the lap and try some clomid cycles, some with IUI. They didn’t work and finally I told him I wanted the lap and to move to ivf which he agreed to readily. Turned out my left tube was completely blocked, Black, twisted, a total mess and had to be removed. I wish Dr Elias had been more aggressive and gone with his gut feeling after the HSG that the tube was not right and recommended a lap from the beginning (which I would have been fine with) - especially since previous to developing the tube issue developing, I’d always gotten pregnant on the first month of trying (although many ended in miscarriage). I wasted 7 months and a large chunk of my insurance money on IUIs and clomid cycles that were never going to work with that tube. At the age of 42, the wasted 7 months was the hardest to swallow. Shortly after tube surgery, i had a failed ivf cycle, but then got pregnant naturally 2 months later. With that said, Dr Elias knows his stuff and is a kind and caring doctor - wish he’d been more aggressive particularly with my age.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
If you want to try something other than what Dr Elias suggests, bring it up - you don’t always need to follow his advice. He is pretty amenable to doing what you want at the end of the day. He was even willing to work with a reproductive immunologist (Dr Braverman) and make changes to the ivf protocol that I suggested.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr Elias frequently checked in with me and was always very quick to respond to my emails. More to the point, when my ivf cycle failed he left me a voicemail and expressed his sympathy. During our follow up appointment soon after, he was caring, but also realistic presenting all the facts.
Describe the protocols Rony Elias used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
2 clomid cycles with timed inter course. 1 clomid cycle with IUI. 1 ivf with estrogen prime, menopur, gonal-f, cetrotide - produced 9 eggs, 4 fertilized, day 3 fresh transfer of 3 embryos (bfn) and the other 2 embryos didn’t make it to feeeze.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College.
The nursing staff in NYC upper east side was very busy and I felt like just a number - which was fine. I had most monitoring visits in the satellite office in Mt Kisco and the nurse there wasn’t too friendly not talkative, but she was overall ok - that didn’t bother me.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
They have an excellent lab, are organized. Definitely felt like a number in the NYC office, but the Mt Kisco satellite office was much more personable. Often very long waits for monitoring at the NYC upper east side and a complete cattle call. Monitoring hours were 7-9am which was tough for me to make.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Weill Cornell Medical College.
NYC Upoer east side was a cattle call - I only went there on weekends and would sometimes have to wait 2 hours With every seat taken in their extremely large waiting room. Mt Kisco Office was much better, much more personable with sometimes no wait, and never more than 45 Min wait.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College.
They were covered under my Fertility insurance, but the costs at Cornell are very high. About $15K per cycle plus then add on service - freezing, ICSI etc
Describe Rony Elias's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Dr Elias said with my age, 42, he recommended day 3 transfer of 3-4 embryos to give me the best chance of pregnancy (embryos do better back in the body) and PGS testing on remaining embryos to freeze.
What specific things went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Failed to call with results
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Once they didn’t call to give me instructions (during ivf cycle) by the time they were supposed to (I think that was 8pm) and I had to call the after hours people and they had to track down my dr/nurses after hours to provide me instructions which took a little time.
Both time Dr. Elias opted to transfer 3. I took his advice both times. ... He is really compassionate and always recommends the route he feels is best without pushing you. He gives you the facts and is patient about any and all questions you may have. He is always available and always gets back to you either directly or through one of his great staff [Weilll Cornell]. ... After various testing we had unexplained infertility and he recommended a cycle being monitored on clomid with timed intercourse ...
I was lucky enough to do most of my monitoring with Dr Elias himself in Mt Kisco. In the event it’s over a weekend or holiday and you have to go to city it definitely feels more of a factory but they are organized and it moves quickly even though you may be overwhelmed by the amount of women in the waiting room. ... Everyone associated with Dr. Elias and Cornell are amazing. They all care about their patients and will jump through hoops for you.
How was your experience with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Elias was responsible for our first miracle and we are currently trying for our second miracle. We first went to him in 2016 after failing to get pregnant and after miscarriage. After various testing we had unexplained infertility and he recommended a cycle being monitored on clomid with timed intercourse based on ultrasound monitoring which we did and did not work. That was followed by clomid cycles for IUI which did not work either and although Dr Elias recommended one more IUI we opted for IVF as our insurance didn’t cover either so we opted for more of a sure thing. We were pregnant with our son after 1 IVF cycle using fresh embryos. Unfortunately we did not have any left to freeze but we were over the moon with our little boy.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Don’t give up hope. Dr. Elias will do whatever he can to help you.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Elias is simply the best dr. He is really compassionate and always recommends the route he feels is best without pushing you. He gives you the facts and is patient about any and all questions you may have. He is always available and always gets back to you either directly or through one of his great staff.
Describe the protocols Rony Elias used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
My protocol for IVF started with estrogen patch and on day 2 injections of 225 Gonal F with 150 menopur with adding cetrotide half way through. He retrieved 12 or 13 eggs and 7 or 8 were mature and fertilized via ICSI. We transferred 3, none were viable enough to freeze and we were pregnant! 2 years later we went back for #2 with exact same protocol, one left to freeze which unfortunately ended up in a miscarriage at 7.5 weeks. We will be continuing to try with Dr Elias when he says we can!
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Jane and Lisa)
Everyone associated with Dr. Elias and Cornell are amazing. They all care about their patients and will jump through hoops for you. Dr. Elias will check in with you over the weekend, you always get a call back from him or anyone ranging from Jessica in the office to JoAnne one of the nurses in Mt Kisco to Jane And Lisa in the city. All are amazing and sensitive to whatever the situation.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
I was lucky enough to do most of my monitoring with Dr Elias himself in Mt Kisco. In the event it’s over a weekend or holiday and you have to go to city it definitely feels more of a factory but they are organized and it moves quickly even though you may be overwhelmed by the amount of women in the waiting room. Same with retrieval and transfer day all done in city .. but again very organized and systematic. But that makes it less personal I’m sure for any city patient but dr Elias mt. Kisco location is really the best
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Easy
Some days you waited longer than others but dr Elias and team always did their best to keep it moving.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College.
10,500 initial
Approx 5,000 on meds
1500 - 2000 approx for facility fee/anesthesia
3,000 for ICSI and frozen embryo
Describe Rony Elias's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Both time Dr. Elias opted to transfer 3. I took his advice both times.
He [Dr. Elias] uses an estrogen patch prior to he initiation of a cycle in an attempt to keep eggs growing at a similar rate and retrieve more mature eggs. He did a double trigger (lupron/ovidrel or lupron/bHCG) and also at times extends your trigger-retrieval interval to 37 hours based on recent evidence that 1-2 hours of extra in vivo time will better mature eggs...extremely attentive and answered all my questions intelligently. He did it ignore, belittle, or minimize any concerns. I think he’s intelligent and caring.
Morning monitoring [at Weill Cornell Medical College] takes a long time. I would get there sometimes 45 minutes prior to opening (6:30) so that I could be first and make it to work by 7:30. If you arrive after 6:30 AM, you might be there for an hour...So many cycles that you really have to be on top of things and watch everything yourself. Closely. There were several near misses. Nurses and at times, even other doctors during monitoring try to apply protocol themselves. You have to be vigilant to ensure the plan that your physician set forth is being followed.
How was your experience with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Strengths — answers emails extremely quickly. Objectively assessed my results even when he wasn’t on call — another physician personally mentioned that he called for more information about my ultrasound during morning monitoring one weekend.
Weaknesses — clinic can be disorganized and doctors can fall victim to nurses basically trying to apply protocols that don’t always fit — they can’t catch every issue on every patient and still be a functional member of society.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Nothing specific.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr Elias was extremely attentive and answered all my questions intelligently. He did it ignore, belittle, or minimize any concerns. I think he’s intelligent and caring.
Describe the protocols Rony Elias used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
He uses an estrogen patch prior to he initiation of a cycle in an attempt to keep eggs growing at a similar rate and retrieve more mature eggs. He did a double trigger (lupron/ovidrel or lupron/bHCG) and also at times extends your trigger-retrieval interval to 37 hours based on recent evidence that 1-2 hours of extra in vivo time will better mature eggs.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Lisa Artusa)
Lisa Artusa is amazing. So sweet and lovely. Just makes you feel special and never a burden. Reminder of nurses were always nice.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
Strengths — Huge number of cycles and success.
Weaknesses — So many cycles that you really have to be on top of things and watch everything yourself. Closely. There were several near misses. Nurses and at times, even other doctors during monitoring try to apply protocol themselves. You have to be vigilant to ensure the plan that your physician set forth is being followed.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Morning monitoring takes a long time. I would get there sometimes 45 minutes prior to opening (6:30) so that I could be first and make it to work by 7:30. If you arrive after 6:30 AM, you might be there for an hour.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Medications cost a lot. Only $1800 was covered by my insurance. The balance of the treatment was covered and I paid co pays and some residual costs.
Describe Rony Elias's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Weill Cornell Medical College.
I transferred 2 embryos. I don’t know what his policy is for other patients.
What specific things went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Not really — not uncommonly there can be a delay or absence of a call-in script — you have to stay on top of this with every clinic. No bad outcomes because of this for me.
Dr. Elias did my retrieval even though he wasn't scheduled to do so (he was on call in the office) which I really appreciated...I ended up having 8 eggs, which was much higher than either of us expected. We had also expected to need to do a day 3 transfer, but we were able to do a day 5 transfer of a fresh embryo and then freeze the remaining 3. Unfortunately, the transfer was not successful. We plan on trying a frozen transfer with the remaining embryos and are hopeful we will have success in the coming months. I really like Dr. Elias - I find him to be very statistics focused, and he is well-read about all of the current research. My only complaint is that sometimes I find him a bit hard to understand as he has a bit of an accent and speaks quickly. However, that has not impacted my care in any way. I highly
The monitoring [at Weill Cornell Medical College] on the UES felt much more "factory-like", however, I never had to wait all that long...If I was going in for monitoring at Mt. Kisco, I would get there about 30-45 minutes before they opened so that I could swipe in as early as possible...Lisa [nurse] has been great to work with, and is very responsive to emails and calls. I saw her once at my initial meeting and then during weekend monitoring, I ran into her in the blood work room. She remembered me and was very sweet. She was also incredibly sweet when she called to tell me I was not pregnant - I imagine a very difficult call to have to make. I also interacted a lot with Jessica and Joanne at the Mt. Kisco office and they are both lovely.
How was your experience with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Elias diagnosed me very easily with the HSG test and found a hydrosalpinx in my right fallopian tube (where I had my ovary removed 15 years ago). He did the surgery to remove that tube and ended up removing the left tube as well, as it was also diseased and he did not want it to cause another miscarriage (I had one a year ago, likely due to the blocked tube). He did an excellent job on my surgery - I had laparoscopic surgery years ago to remove my ovary due to a dermoid cyst, and my recovery was MUCH worse then. I had very little pain and healed quickly after the surgery. We started IVF the next month. Dr. Elias did my retrieval even though he wasn't scheduled to do so (he was on call in the office) which I really appreciated. There was a possibility I was going to need to have a trans-abdominal retrieval and he wanted to be the one to do it. Thankfully, that did not happen and I ended up having 8 eggs, which was much higher than either of us expected. We had also expected to need to do a day 3 transfer, but we were able to do a day 5 transfer of a fresh embryo and then freeze the remaining 3. Unfortunately, the transfer was not successful. We plan on trying a frozen transfer with the remaining embryos and are hopeful we will have success in the coming months. I really like Dr. Elias - I find him to be very statistics focused, and he is well-read about all of the current research. My only complaint is that sometimes I find him a bit hard to understand as he has a bit of an accent and speaks quickly. However, that has not impacted my care in any way. I highly recommend him!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
I did not realize that I would need to go to the Upper East Side office so often - you have to go there for all procedures, classes and weekend monitoring. I moved to Westchester a few months ago and figured that everything would be in Westchester in the Mt. Kisco office, but that was not correct. That being said, I like having access to the Cornell team but able to see Dr. Elias in the Mt. Kisco office which is smaller and less intimidating and factory-like than the UES office.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Elias knew me and my situation and I never felt like a number. His staff in Mt Kisco also knew me and they were all very kind and helpful.
Describe the protocols Rony Elias used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
I used 225 UI of Follistim and 150 of Menopur and then added in Ganirelix towards the end of my stim cycle. I was given Lupron and HCG as my trigger and then I opted to use Crinone instead of Progesterone in Oil after my transfer, as I was very anxious about additional shots.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Lisa Artusa)
Lisa has been great to work with, and is very responsive to emails and calls. I saw her once at my initial meeting and then during weekend monitoring, I ran into her in the blood work room. She remembered me and was very sweet. She was also incredibly sweet when she called to tell me I was not pregnant - I imagine a very difficult call to have to make.
I also interacted a lot with Jessica and Joanne at the Mt. Kisco office and they are both lovely.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
I really like going to the Mt. Kisco office because it doesn't feel like a factory, in contrast with the UES office. I also really like that I saw Dr. Elias every time I was there, as I know many others who did not have that experience of seeing their specific doctor. My only complaint was that I didn't realize I would have to go to the UES office so much - and the parking there is super expensive, and the drive can be challenging.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Weill Cornell Medical College.
If I was going in for monitoring at Mt. Kisco, I would get there about 30-45 minutes before they opened so that I could swipe in as early as possible. I work at a school and I'm supposed to be in at 8:15, so I needed to go in early; however, on a day when I didn't have to work I went in later and the wait was not bad at all. So if I had more flexibility, I wouldn't have to have gotten there so early. The monitoring on the UES felt much more "factory-like", however, I never had to wait all that long there either.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College.
I did not have insurance coverage. The IVF cycle cost $10500, my medications ended up costing $5900, the freezing of our embryos cost $1000 and we paid about $1000 for a sounding test and for sperm analysis.
Describe Rony Elias's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Weill Cornell Medical College.
We opted to transfer one embryo as we were very concerned about having twins. We may eventually try two in our frozen transfers, but wanted to be conservative initially.
Dr. Elias is very good about laying things out and having very candid conversations. He has always had a calming effect on me even when he's delivering bad news. He gives me as much time as I need to ask my questions. I never feel like he's rushing me out the door...He has always been very patient with me in allowing me to ask questions. I never feel like he is rushing me. He is very kind when I've been upset.
The clinic [Weill Cornell - U East] has an excellent reputation and operates like a well oiled machine. I like this, however, it can feel like a mill...[the nurses] They always contacted me in a timely manner and took time to answer all of my questions and explain everything to me...Dr. Elias is very good about laying things out and having very candid conversations. He has always had a calming effect on me even when he's delivering bad news.
How was your experience with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Elias is very good about laying things out and having very candid conversations. He has always had a calming effect on me even when he's delivering bad news. He gives me as much time as I need to ask my questions. I never feel like he's rushing me out the door.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Do not be afraid to ask questions or ask for clarification.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
He has always been very patient with me in allowing me to ask questions. I never feel like he is rushing me. He is very kind when I've been upset.
Describe the protocols Rony Elias used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
My first 3 IUIs were with Clomid. I produced 1or 2 mature follicles each time. My 4th IUI was an injectible cycle using Menopur and I had 3 mature follicles. My first IVF cycle involved Menopur, Gonal-F and Cetrotide. Dr. Elias thought I had 5 mature follicles, but on retrieval day, they were only able to get 3 because the other 2 were too immature and wouldn't have made it. All 3 eggs fertilized, but 1 developed abnormal cells and was not viable. The other 2 were graded as a 1.5 and a 2 and were transferred on day 3. My second IVF cycle involved Lupron, Menopur and Gonal-F. I did not respond well to this protocol and an ultrasound and MRI revealed a large tumor on my sacrum which led to my cycle being canceled. The tumor has been removed and I am now recovering from surgery and hope to resume IVF in May.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Devin for IUI and Lisa for IVF)
They always contacted me in a timely manner and took time to answer all of my questions and explain everything to me.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
The clinic has an excellent reputation and operates like a well oiled machine. I like this, however, it can feel like a mill.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College.
My insurance covered 3 IUI cycles. The rest I have paid out of pocket.
I picked Dr Elias because he had experience with septate uteruses, which is what I had had. He was immediately responsive and after 2-3 cycles with him I was pregnant. He started slowly and really paid attention. After my first child turned 1, we went back to him to try for another baby. I had 6 iuis (Clomid cycles) last year. I was pregnant on the third one but miscarried and then again on the sixth but it was ectopic. So in terms of helping me get pregnant, I am happy with Dr. Elias. I don't know that there was anything else he could have done to avoid the pregnancy losses. Sometimes I did feel that he didn't grasp how awful the pregnancy loss was for us - the devastation we felt - or maybe he does but doesn't get into the emotions.
The clinic [Weill Cornell] has the system down to a science and operates like a well-oiled machine. These types of clinics can often make one feel like an animal in their treatment of patients, but I haven't felt that here. The waiting area is well situated and waiting times for daily monitoring are minimal. The only problem for me is that it is a pain to get there. One area for improvement is their billing department. Last year they double charged me several appointments. My have colleagues who use this clinic who have said that it has been a nightmare as well working with the billing department.
How was your experience with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
I was at another clinic in NYC where I had a negative experience with the dr rushing us through clomid cycles and overstimulating me on Follistim before even trying Clomid. We left that clinic after a referral from a colleague to try Cornell. I picked Dr Elias because he had experience with septate uteruses, which is what I had had. He was immediately responsive and after 2-3 cycles with him I was pregnant. He started slowly and really paid attention. After my first child turned 1, we went back to him to try for another baby. I had 6 iuis (Clomid cycles) last year. I was pregnant on the third one but miscarried and then again on the sixth but it was ectopic. So in terms of helping me get pregnant, I am happy with Dr. Elias. I don't know that there was anything else he could have done to avoid the pregnancy losses. Sometimes I did feel that he didn't grasp how awful the pregnancy loss was for us - the devastation we felt - or maybe he does but doesn't get into the emotions. Hard to say. He did spend a decent amount of time with us with both losses explaining options and future options. One thing also to note is that when we started seeing him he was more available and less rushed. Now he seems to have a much larger caseload.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Trust him to know your case. But also ask questions.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr Elias replies to emails regularly even over the weekend. When I was having an ectopic pregnancy - I was in a tremendous amount of pain and he replied to my emails over night. Though I don't see him usually more than once or twice a cycle, I feel like he follows my case closely.
Describe the protocols Rony Elias used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
With my first pregnancy, the follicle size got to 24mm. This is larger than it needed to be to move to the trigger shot. However, this resulted in a viable pregnancy. So he used this same method for all my Clomid cycles lat year (6 of them). Two resulted in pregnancies. Neither was viable, however.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Devon Klauck)
She calls back and answers questions all the time. Sometimes there is a delay in reply as she is out of the office now and then. When someone is covering for her there is not always the same level of quality in communications and care.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
The clinic has the system down to a science and operates like a well-oiled machine. These types of clinics can often make one feel like an animal in their treatment of patients, but I haven't felt that here. The waiting area is well situated and waiting times for daily monitoring are minimal. The only problem for me is that it is a pain to get there. One area for improvement is their billing department. Last year they double charged me several appointments. My have colleagues who use this clinic who have said that it has been a nightmare as well working with the billing department.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Only my co-pays for drugs. My insurance covers iuis and the meds for iuis but not IVF. We have not done IVF yet.
What specific things went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Failed to call with results
Provided conflicting information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College.
A few times they would call in prescriptions to the wrong pharmacy or to more than one pharmacy. They didn't check or ask what pharmacy I needed them to use. So this was a headache at least 2-3 times. Once when I discovered I was miscarrying and some blood work was ordered, the women taking the blood congratulated me on my pregnancy. That was like a dagger to the heart.
[Dr. Elias] helped me have my first child at the age of 42 with my own eggs- my chances then were just about 5%.He was very attentive and explained everything about the procedure... He PERSONALLY came an did the transfer and the retrieval of the eggs. I have a history of Fibroids and myomectomies so he thought we might need to do an abdominal retrieval.
Lisa [nurse at Weill Cornell] is a riot!! She made the process so easy. She was organized and a pleasure to work with...Cornell is like a factory! That did not bother me at all...The doctors and nurses are simply amazing. Don't be overwhelmed or intimidated by the set-up there... I did acupuncture for many months also which helped me with the stress reduction during the process.
How was your experience with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Fertility Medicine is a calling to Dr. Elias. It is evident in the time he takes to CAREFULLY and RESPECTIVELY explain your course of treatments. My first IVF with resulted in a live birth of a health baby girl. He PERSONALLY came an did the transfer and the retrieval of the eggs. I have a history of Fibroids and myomectomies so he thought we might need to do an abdominal retrieval. My second IVF with him was unsuccesful - but in all fairness I was almost 45 at the time trying to go with my own eggs. In my heart, I knew my changes were low, but I still wanted to try. He did not discourage me at all - he said my uterus was totally fine. In the second IVF, we did an abdominal retrieval and got just 3 eggs and transfered 3 embryos. Sadly, I did not get pregnant, but I cannot complain too much, because Dr Elias helped me have my first child at the age of 42 with my own eggs- my chances then were just about 5%. I have referred 2 of my friends to him and they all have families of their own too. I will remain eternally grateful to him and will continue to refer patients to him!
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Sometimes he speaks fast, but all you need to do is ask him to repeat himself, which he is happy to do!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
He was very attentive and explained everything about the procedure. I felt he was VERY vested in getting us pregnant!
Describe the protocols Rony Elias used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
I know I used A LOT of drugs! I think I was taking like 450 units of Follistim daily, and 150 menopur daily and I stimulated for 10 days each time. But I am older, so maybe needed more drugs. Either way, it worked the first time at age 41/42. So I guess he knew what he was doing.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Lisa Artura)
Lisa is a riot!! She made the process so easy. She was organized and a pleasure to work with. My first IVF worked and the 2nd failed. She was so sad when she called to give me the news about the failed IVF. She and Dr. Elias make a great team.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
Cornell is like a factory! That did not bother me at all - my focus was on getting RESULTS! In the results department, they are excellent. The doctors and nurses are simply amazing. Don't be overwhelmed or intimidated by the set-up there. Just focus on why you are there and don't be a stress freak - it is not even good for your chances. I did acupuncture for many months also which helped me with the stress reduction during the process.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Insurance covered most of my costs including my drugs.
Describe Rony Elias's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Weill Cornell Medical College.
We transferred 2 or 3 embryos each time. That was what I had anyone, so there was nothing to freeze.
Dr. Elias has a very good bedside manner. He always checked in, followed up and did his best to be at and do my transfers himself.... He is very smart, well researched and overall, a good doctor. However, I think my case was just out of his scope and he, nor anyone else at Cornell, was willing to think outside of the box.... He was definitely in favor of eSET because of potential complications with carrying multiples. However, he was much more open to transferring two blasts when the first 2 eSET failed.
The lab at Cornell is exceptional. That was one of the draws for me to go there in the first place. However, it is a huge institution and morning monitoring in the city is like a giant, awkward cattle call.... The nursing staff seemed pretty good in the main NYC office. However, the staff at the Westchester office is terrible! So much so that one of the times I had called for just rescheduling an appointment, one of the two staff members there pretended to be the other. Extremely unprofessional
How was your experience with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
I really like Dr. Elias. He is very smart, well researched and overall, a good doctor. However, I think my case was just out of his scope and he, nor anyone else at Cornell, was willing to think outside of the box.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Is you are a very clear cut case, he will be a great doctor for you. If you consider yourself more of a challenge especially in the unknown category, then I would recommend venturing elsewhere.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Elias has a very good bedside manner. He always checked in, followed up and did his best to be at and do my transfers himself.
Describe the protocols Rony Elias used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
IVF with single embryo transfer followed by multiple frozen transfers. While my egg retrieval was very successful with multiple good quality blasts, all transfers failed.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff at Weill Cornell Medical College.
The nursing staff seemed pretty good in the main NYC office. However, the staff at the Westchester office is terrible! So much so that one of the times I had called for just rescheduling an appointment, one of the two staff members there pretended to be the other. Extremely unprofessional (I also work in healthcare).
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
The lab at Cornell is exceptional. That was one of the draws for me to go there in the first place. However, it is a huge institution and morning monitoring in the city is like a giant, awkward cattle call.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Weill Cornell Medical College.
At the Westchester office, it was pretty straight forward. There were monitoring hours and you would wait in a first come first basis. It was never very busy. This is definitely not the same for the main office in NYC.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College.
My insurance covered everything.
Describe Rony Elias's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Weill Cornell Medical College.
He was definitely in favor of eSET because of potential complications with carrying multiples. However, he was much more open to transferring two blasts when the first 2 eSET failed.
What specific things went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Lost paperwork
Lost appointments
Failed to call with results
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College.
I really did not care for the staff in the Westchester office. Dr. Elias is a friendly, personable and successful doctor who deserves people that his patients will feel comfortable with.
He [Dr. Elias] does seem to know what he is doing, is very plugged into the latest research/reports/technology and treatment, is positive...During what was the most painful (physically and emotionally) time - during my ectopic pregnancy - he hardly checked in on me, I felt totally in the dark, he was very cavalier about surgery vs. drugs to remove, and once the surgery was over didn't call to check up on me that night or the next day.
[At Cornell Weill Fertility] everything is done by phone so there is zero paper trail. As a busy, working processional i would much prefer if they did things over email... {nurse] Devon calls every day on the dot at 3:30 - she is very sweet/compassionate and knows what she is talking about.
How was your experience with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Strengths: He does seem to know what he is doing, is very plugged into the latest research/reports/technology and treatment, is positive - never for a second do i think i won't get pregnant eventually - and this is weird but he has the gentlest touch with sonograms - literally don't feel a thing. He also did surgery to remove my right tube - and i have recovered with no issues and the tiniest scares.
Weaknesses: During what was the most painful (physically and emotionally) time - during my ectopic pregnancy - he hardly checked in on me, I felt totally in the dark, he was very cavalier about surgery vs. drugs to remove, and once the surgery was over didn't call to check up on me that night or the next day. I had a very bad reaction to anesthesia and the hospital was forcing me to leave…if he had called i'm sure they would have treated me differently. And then when I got home I was panicked that I felt so bad, was bleeding, etc - and felt like I didn't know what to expect/what was normal/what wasn't.
Right now I'm deciding if I want to stay with him for future treatment or see someone else in the practice.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Realize this is a first for many of us - the struggle, the delight, the disappointment - and to be better about communicating with patients - giving them the general context, the options and the details.
I will say whenever i have expressed concern - or reached out - Dr. Elias has always called me back and given me the dedicated time.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
In general Weill Cornell is a bit of a factory - they move a lot of women through the practice. My interactions with Dr. Elias have been less than expected since he is between NYC and Westchester. He is always very polite and informative - and I do really like him - but he can be very cold. Like when I first found out my pregnancy was not viable and I would miscarry he said "This is a good thing -you can get pregnant" - or when I later had to have surgery for what was an ectopic pregnancy he seemed very cavalier about removing the tube. I'm sure he sees everything 10X a day - but this was a first pregnancy, first miscarriage and then first surgery.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Devon)
Devon calls every day on the dot at 3:30 - she is very sweet/compassionate and knows what she is talking about.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Most was covered by my insurance - just had to pay deductible and co-pays.
What specific things went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Failed to call with results
Failed to order appropriate test
Failed to convey critical information
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College.
In general - its up to you to be on top of your care/treatment - going to monitoring, listening and responding to your VMs, scheduling your IUI, etc. And everything is done by phone so there is zero paper trail. As a busy, working processional i would much prefer if they did things over email.
Dr. Elias has a wonderful bedside manner. He is kind, patient and is invested in his patients care and success...However, because he is just one doctor out of a group of amazing doctors, I did see other doctors as well. Dr. Elias did not do my transfer or my retrieval. If seeing the same doctor regularly and for the majority of the procedures is important to a patient, perhaps a smaller practice would be more appropriate.
Dr. Elias is one doctor of a group of doctors at Weill-Cornell at NY Presbyterian Medical Center. He was my main doctor and responsible for my care. However, because he is just one doctor out of a group of amazing doctors, I did see other doctors as well. Dr. Elias did not do my transfer or my retrieval. Because Weill-Cornell is such a huge hospital with a big fertility center, I didn't spend too much time actually speaking to Siobhan. However, whenever I did have a question about something or when the team needed to be in contact with me, it was always seamless. I never had any issue.
How was your experience with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Elias was always a pleasure to see. He was always kind and patient when I had a lot of questions. He called me after hours when he needed to tell me important information related to my care. Dr. Elias has a wonderful bedside manner.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Elias is one doctor of a group of doctors at Weill-Cornell at NY Presbyterian Medical Center. He was my main doctor and responsible for my care. However, because he is just one doctor out of a group of amazing doctors, I did see other doctors as well. Dr. Elias did not do my transfer or my retrieval. If seeing the same doctor regularly and for the majority of the procedures is important to a patient, perhaps a smaller practice would be more appropriate.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Elias has a wonderful bedside manner. He is kind, patient and is invested in his patients care and success. He is very knowledgeable about infertility, about his patients needs and explains things thoroughly.
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Siobhan)
Because Weill-Cornell is such a huge hospital with a big fertility center, I didn't spend too much time actually speaking to Siobhan. However, whenever I did have a question about something or when the team needed to be in contact with me, it was always seamless. I never had any issue.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Weill Cornell Medical College.
I did most of my monitoring (generally Monday through Friday) in the Mt. Kisco (Westchester) office. They always started with blood work first. Because it is a smaller office, there is only one technician (or there was only one technician when I was there in the summer-fall 2013). There would be a wait for blood work but it wasn't so bad. If I got there around 7:45am, a half hour before Dr. Elias even arrived, then I would be among the first to be seen. Dr. Elias is there Monday-Thursday for ultrasounds for those who need them (not for every monitoring appointment). He has an ultrasound technician there on Fridays to cover for him. On weekends and holidays, I had to travel to the upper east side of Manhattan to be seen in the main hospital. Of course that is quite busy because it is a NY hospital. It's kind of like a cattle call, but I accepted it as just something that goes along with being a patient at a top notch hospital!
Describe the costs associated with your care under Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Dr. Elias comes across as an evidence driven Doctor. Being in the healthcare field myself this was a very valuable quality in a Doctor. He has always been respectful and tends to take calculated risks....Dr Elias is part of a large practice. Although a great doctor, his time can appear to be limited perhaps due to the large hospital system he is part of. Extremely result driven. Very uptodate on literature and ongoing trial data.
The nursing staff at CRM [Cornell Reproductive Medicine] is surprisingly nice and helpful. The waits can be very long depending on what time folks come in for monitoring but each of the nurses so far has been helpful...Likely the best in NYC. This is after being tended to at NYU, Roosevelt. Great doctors but because it's a hospital can feel like a factory at times.
How was your experience with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr Elias is part of a large practice. Although a great doctor, his time can appear to be limited perhaps due to the large hospital system he is part of. Extremely result driven. Very uptodate on literature and ongoing trial data.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Be prepared for the industrial experience!
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Elias comes across as an evidence driven Doctor. Being in the healthcare field myself this was a very valuable quality in a Doctor. He has always been respectful and tends to take calculated risks.
Describe the protocols Rony Elias used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
Good ovarian reserve detected; antagonist protocol. ICSI identified for next cycle due to MFI
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Lisa)
The nursing staff at CRM is surprisingly nice and helpful. The waits can be very long depending on what time folks come in for monitoring but each of the nurses so far has been helpful
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
Likely the best in NYC. This is after being tended to at NYU, Roosevelt. Great doctors but because it's a hospital can feel like a factory at times.
Describe the costs associated with your care under Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College.
The first cycle was close to 15K. Insurance helped a lot. We paid out coinsurance and deductibles.
What specific things went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Failed to call in prescriptions to pharmacy
Failed to call with results
Describe the specific things that went wrong at Weill Cornell Medical College.
The entire transfer and post egg retrieval phase was poorly managed. The lab forgot to call me back for transfer. Only after I called they told me to come in for a transfer. The nurse assigned to us was rarely accessible - largely away on vacation during our cycle.
He [Dr. Rony Elias] seemed like the only doctor who wanted me to get pregnant. He took time to read my records, redid tests that were not conclusive, explained everything to me. He made suggestions and recommendations and ultimately let me make the decision...He would site info from my records and took time with me wasn't ever rushed...EStrogen priming protocol with low stims, estrogen priming with clomid
Clinic [Cornell] is huge...meaning billing department doesn't care about eating back to you and nursing staff seems like they are overwhelmed...I had to pay 450 for a mock transfer and 690 for an IUI...He [Dr. Rony Elias] seemed like the only doctor who wanted me to get pregnant. He took time to read my records, redid tests that were not conclusive, explained everything to me. He made suggestions and recommendations and ultimately let me make the decision...He would site info from my records and took time with me wasn't ever rushed...EStrogen priming protocol with low stims, estrogen priming with clomid
How was your experience with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
He seemed like the only doctor who wanted me to get pregnant. He took time to read my records, redid tests that were not conclusive, explained everything to me. He made suggestions and recommendations and ultimately let me make the decision.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Listen to him. Tell him what you want.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
He would site info from my records and took time with me wasn't ever rushed
Describe the protocols Rony Elias used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
EStrogen priming protocol with low stims, estrogen priming with clomid
Describe your experience with your nurse at Weill Cornell Medical College. (Assigned nurse: Lisa)
Large facility...hard to get in touch with ur nurse.
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
Clinic is huge...meaning billing department doesn't care about eating back to you and nursing staff seems like they are overwhelmed
Describe the costs associated with your care under Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College.
I had to pay 450 for a mock transfer and 690 for an IUI.
