Rony Elias
Weill Cornell Medical College
Available Lines of Communication
Doctor email
Nurse email
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Direct line to doctor
Direct line to nurse
Direct line to nurse
Not available by personal cell phone
Medical SchoolAmerican U. of Beirut
ResidencyGeorge Washington
FellowshipCornell
Upper East Side
1305 York Avenue
New York, NY 10021
(646) 962-2764
Westchester
657 Main Street
Mount Kisco, NY 10549
(914) 242-3700
19 assessments
10
Age
41
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
IVF
Diagnosis
Tubal Blockage
10
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.
+ Read more
Age
41
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 6 Docs
Treatment
IVF
Diagnosis
Tubal Blockage
10
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.
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.
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
10
Age
29 - 31
Treated
2017 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
5 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Tubal Blockage, Uterine Fibroids
10
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.
+ Read more
Age
29 - 31
Treated
2017 - 2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Other
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
5 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Tubal Blockage, Uterine Fibroids
10
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.
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10
Age
44
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
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...
+ Read more
Age
44
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
East Asian
Income
$500K
Occupation
Business Executive
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
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.
No insurance coverage unfortunately. IVF Cycle Fee $9463, ICSI $2630, Freezing $1050, PGS $4850, Medication $4500, Hospital Fee $1000
Describe Rony Elias's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Weill Cornell Medical College.
n/a
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10
Age
25 - 29
Treated
2015 - 2019
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor
10
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.
+ Read more
Age
25 - 29
Treated
2015 - 2019
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Middle Eastern
Income
—
Occupation
Marketer or PR
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 3 Docs
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor
10
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.
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10
Age
37 - 39
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
4 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Unexplained
10
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.
+ Read more
Age
37 - 39
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
Marketer or PR
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
4 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Unexplained
10
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
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7
Age
42 - 43
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
1 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Tubal Blockage
7
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).
+ Read more
Age
42 - 43
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European, Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
1 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Tubal Blockage
7
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
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10
Age
39 - 41
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
2 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Other, Unexplained
10
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 ...
+ Read more
Age
39 - 41
Treated
2016 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Other
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Business Executive
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
2 IUI, 2 IVF
Diagnosis
Recurrent Pregnancy Loss, Other, Unexplained
10
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.
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9
Age
39 - 40
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF, 4 Egg Freezing, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
—
9
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.
+ Read more
Age
39 - 40
Treated
2017 - 2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Prefer not to answer
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Doctor
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF, 4 Egg Freezing, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
—
9
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
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9
Age
39
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Tubal Blockage
9
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
+ Read more
Age
39
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Tubal Blockage
9
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.
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10
Age
43 - 44
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
4 IUI, 1 IVF, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
—
10
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.
+ Read more
Age
43 - 44
Treated
2016 - 2017
Success with this Doc
No
Race
Native American
Income
$100K - $199K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
4 IUI, 1 IVF, Donor Sperm
Diagnosis
—
10
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.
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7
Age
38 - 42
Treated
2013 - 2017
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
15 IUI
Diagnosis
Other
7
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.
+ Read more
Age
38 - 42
Treated
2013 - 2017
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
15 IUI
Diagnosis
Other
7
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
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10
Age
41 - 46
Treated
2012 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
—
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor, Uterine Fibroids
10
[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.
+ Read more
Age
41 - 46
Treated
2012 - 2017
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Black or African-American
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Investment Banker
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 2 Docs
Treatment
—
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Male Factor, Uterine Fibroids
10
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.
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7
Age
33
Treated
2015
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
2 IUI
Diagnosis
Unexplained
7
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.
+ Read more
Age
33
Treated
2015
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
Consultant
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
2 IUI
Diagnosis
Unexplained
7
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
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10
Age
38
Treated
2013
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
4 IUI, 1 IVF, 1 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
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.
+ Read more
Age
38
Treated
2013
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
—
Income
—
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
4 IUI, 1 IVF, 1 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Unexplained
10
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.
That's the one thing I don't remember too well!
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7
Age
37
Treated
2016
Success with this Doc
No
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Tubal Blockage, Unexplained
7
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.
+ Read more
Age
37
Treated
2016
Success with this Doc
No
Race
European, Ashkenazi Jewish
Income
$200K - $499K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1st of 3 Docs
Treatment
1 IVF
Diagnosis
Tubal Blockage, Unexplained
7
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.
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
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Verified
This patient has provided documentation of treatment at this clinic.
8
Age
32 - 33
Treated
2015 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Tubal Blockage
8
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.
+ Read more
Age
32 - 33
Treated
2015 - 2016
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
South Asian
Income
$500K
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
2nd of 2 Docs
Treatment
3 IUI, 1 IVF
Diagnosis
Male Factor, Tubal Blockage
8
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
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10
Age
38
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
1 IUI, 3 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality
10
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
+ Read more
Age
38
Treated
2017
Success with this Doc
?
Race
European
Income
—
Occupation
Teacher
Order & Number of Docs Seen
3rd of 3 Docs
Treatment
1 IUI, 3 IVF
Diagnosis
Diminished Ovarian Reserve, Poor Egg Quality
10
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.
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10
Age
32
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Treatment
1 IVF, 1 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Endometriosis, Other
10
Dr. Elias doesn't only care about the medical process he goes through, he also support his patients emotionally before starting any treatment or procedure...All his assumptions were correct and all my procedures with him were successful. After waiting for more than 4 yrs to get pregnant and with all the unsuccessful fertility cycles i had before consulting him. Here i am with my first successful egg retrieval, embryo freezing, and embryo transfer, and a positive pregnancy.
+ Read more
Age
32
Treated
2018
Success with this Doc
Yes
Race
Middle Eastern
Income
—
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IVF, 1 Egg Freezing
Diagnosis
Endometriosis, Other
10
How was your experience with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
I suffered from strong and anonymous pain in my uterus and abdomen area for more than four years. I went to many doctors as I can and the best of them back in my country, no one gave me a clue or a correct answer about my medical issue. I even had wrongly MRI diagnosis and unsuccessful laparoscopy. When I came here to visit Dr. Elias he explained for me the expected complications which i might have. All his assumptions were correct and all my procedures with him were successful. After waiting for more than 4 yrs to get pregnant and with all the unsuccessful fertility cycles i had before consulting him. Here i am with my first successful egg retrieval, embryo freezing, and embryo transfer, and a positive pregnancy. Although am still suffering from the microscopic endometriosis surrounding my pelvic and which nothing can be done to it, am very grateful and thankful to Dr. Elias cause he really tried his best to help me with my sickness and my infertility issue. Thank you Dr., you’re the best !
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Just go ahead you’re in good and talented hands.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Dr. Elias doesn't only care about the medical process he goes through, he also support his patients emotionally before starting any treatment or procedure.
Describe the protocols Rony Elias used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
At the very beginning I had a laparoscopic procedure to check if the uterus & the tubes were fine. I was diagnosed with endometriosis and some were removed from my uterus. But it was sneaking through my right tube to the rectum. Then he suggested to do a cycle before removing the infected tube and the rectum endometriosis. I had a successful cycle with two eggs since am also having a very low AMH. I had an egg retrieval and embryo freezing. Then i had another procedure to remove the right side tube and the endometriosis on my rectum. After that i had a hormonal cycle using estrogen patches and lupron to minimize the effect of the remaining microscopic pelvic endometriosis getting ready for the embryo transfer. Lastly i had a successful transfer with 1 embryo. After that (estrogen patches and progesterone injections until present).
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
Strength:
Good appointment schedules
No long time of waiting except if there’s any emergency happened with the doctor
Clean and well organized clinic
Weaknesses:
Non except you should make sure to sign all the papers required before any procedure (egg retrieval, or laparoscopy , embryo transfer etc). Or they will ask you to go back to the office even if they forget it until the day of the procedure! But thangs god the doctor is conscious And helpful incase anything like that happened.
Describe your experience with your monitoring appointments at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Cycles monitoring and blood work were scheduled and available everyday from 6:30-8:30 am
Describe Rony Elias's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Weill Cornell Medical College.
I was planning to transfer two embryos. But the doctor advised me to transfer only one because of the endometriosis. He was very right about it.
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10
Age
44
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Treatment
1 IUI
Diagnosis
Anovulation
10
Dr. Rony Elias, is very profesional and warm doctor. Very polite and always greeter me by my name....The doctor is very professional, well knowledgeable. He explained very well the procedure and steps, and provide his recomendation based on his expertise. He is friendly and respectful always gree me by my name in a polite caring and warm smile....His staff are very friendly and efficient, they are fast and on point....When you first go, get a card for registration because I was not aware of it
+ Read more
Age
44
Treated
2019
Success with this Doc
?
Race
Latino
Income
—
Occupation
—
Order & Number of Docs Seen
1 Doc Seen
Treatment
1 IUI
Diagnosis
Anovulation
10
How was your experience with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
The doctor is very professional, well knowledgeable. He explained very well the procedure and steps, and provide his recomendation based on his expertise. He is friendly and respectful always gree me by my name in a polite caring and warm smile.
What's one piece of advice would you give a prospective patient of Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
When you first go, get a card for registration because I was not aware of it and every time I went early I had to wait until the secretary arrived instead of other people who register on the computer with the card. Everything else is great.
During treatment, were you treated like a number or a human with Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College?
Like a human. Dr. Rony Elias, is very profesional and warm doctor. Very polite and always greeter me by my name. His staff are very friendly and efficient, they are fast and on point. As six sigma profeaional their process is great.
Describe the protocols Rony Elias used in your cycles at Weill Cornell Medical College and their degree of success.
I took the pills for 5 days which did not give me any side effect. I got the trigger injection and also no side effect.
Describe your experience with the nursing staff.
They were right onnpoint and efficient in calling names and doing the process i was in and out in great time. They need to spend at least a minute with each person to us feel more confortable and caring
Describe your experience with Weill Cornell Medical College.
All was very organized, and clean. All the room very clean, the set up is good. The process and fast and efficient specially taken the blood. Will be great to have a number to call til late for questions
Describe the costs associated with your care under Rony Elias at Weill Cornell Medical College.
Iad to pay over 3,000 also paid for pills 50.00 and trigger shoot 125.00 but is worth it for having a baby
Describe Rony Elias's approach to eSET (elective single embryo transfer) vs. multiple embryo transfer at Weill Cornell Medical College.
N/A
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