Boston IVF - The Rhode Island Center

Nine years ago when I started seeing Dr. Luzzo she was very thorough and helped us to understand everything that we were about to experience. We had started out from the very beginning of time in intercourse to the IUI procedures, to IVF, to IVF with ICSI hatching , to IVF with ICSI , hatching and PGS. It’s been a long journey, and she has been with us through the whole thing. Each time we had a negative result she would help dust us off and get us back in the saddle. When I got my first positive pregnancy, she was so excited she called me with the results. When we “graduated” we opted not to know the gender but asked her to surprise us, she made out a card for us to open when we were ready. Although later I lost my pregnancy due to IC ( incompetent Cervix), we got pregnant again and again and she would always tell me to text her or email her and keep her updated. She would contact me on my appointment days wishing me luck and I would share sonogram photos with her and updates. She genuinely cares about her patients. I never had a bad experience with her.

Don’t give up on her, she will do everything she can to figure it out and help you. Trust her advice and her treatment plan. She’s more than just a RE , she is one of the best.

I don’t remember each treatment strategy however, when we did the IVF process we did the Gonal-F and started our doses low I believe (75) and then gradually higher , by our 3rd retrieval we started high (300) and stayed high approx 2-3 weeks. We also did Menopur and again started at 1 vial then by our 3rd retrieval we started at 2 vials during the 2-3 weeks. Then we would go in for ultrasounds and check on the follicle growth and count and bloodwork for levels of LH and FSH. Slow and steady wins the race! Close to the time of “ triggering “ (ovulation stimulant) I would start on cetrotide (.25MG)for the last week and then when ready to finally “pop” the nurse would call with the time that I would inject the Pregnyl (HCG). Then about 48 hours later I would have the eggs retrieved and ready for testing.

Monitoring appointments would be scheduled for early mornings. There had been times where I was stuck in traffic and running late for my appointment when I would call they would say don’t worry we’ll see you when you get here. One time I did forget about my appointment and they called me to make sure I was ok, and we just rescheduled for the next day. The nice thing about the appts is that they can start very early in the morning so you can still make it to work on time.

The cost of care was expensive. We had changed our insurance company last year but some costs were not always covered. We spent a couple thousand dollars each cycle for medications, some bloodwork (3rd party ), co-payments and meeting our deductible, also our genetic testing was not covered the first time so that cost us $3,700 for the testing of 5-8 day 5 embryos. IVF is not cheap and we have done it multiple times. Luckily, the last time we had the PGS testing done, insurance covered the cost with the recommendation from the doctor.

Because of my age we would only put in one, since it could split and we knew they were checked for chromosomal abnormalities. I trusted her advice and was ok with just the one at a time approach.

My experience as a patient in terms of client care was always great. I felt as though I was treated with respect and compassion. Our IVF journey occurred during the heat of Covid so we never to meet our doctor in person. Our doctors ability to show empathy and explain treatment to us via telehealth was impressive. It could have easily felt impersonal but that was not my experience at all.

At the time we were going to an active cycle, I believe Dr. Luzzo was the only/main provider so at times, there was a long wait for a follow up appointment.

Drugs prescribed included: menopur 75 units, Gonal F, follistism, Lupron .2 mg, crinone 8%

My insurance plan surprisingly covered the majority of our active treatment cycle costs. Currently our cost is a monthly storage free for my frozen eggs.

Doctor’s preference was single embryo transfer, however, due to lower graded embryos, two were transferred during my first transfer.

I saw Dr. Luzzo for a second opinion after 4 failed FET cycles. She not only took a fresh careful approach to my diagnosis of unexplained secondary infertility, but was very thorough and knowledgeable about my medical history. She offered up options, answered all my questions, and was really personable.

Go see her as soon as you can! She is an excellent combination of clinical expertise and personable care.

We started with a hysteroscopy, then an egg retrieval and PGT testing. Then proceeded with natural FET cycle and, although I had a miscarriage, I actually got pregnant, which was a first after 4 prior FET cycles and 3 IUIs!! We regrouped with a repeat hysteroscopy as it had been more than a year, removed some cerbical stenosis and completed a natural mock cycle with endometrial biopsy. Now I’m about to start a natural cycle for an embryo transfer.

My insurance has given me pretty good coverage overall. Main costs included PGT testing, which wasn’t covered by my insurance. They communicated clearly upfront costs associated with this and called along the way if there were different options to choose from, such as when we were deciding how many of our embryos to send for PGT testing.

She fully discussed pros and cons of both choices fully with me. In my case, she recommended single embryo transfer, given tested embryos and other heath factors. We discussed a plan to consider multiple embryo transfers in the future if this next cycle is not successful.

Dr. Luzzo is very straightforward. She doesn’t push one treatment over the other but rather gives pros and cons for each and lets the patient make the decisions. Not very warm and fuzzy but she knows her stuff.

Ask lots of questions. Advocate for yourself.

We have done 3 rounds of IUI. First round we went in for baseline ultrasound and labs on cycle day 3. For the call that afternoon to start 50mg of clomid every night for 5 nights. Cycle day 10 went in for monitoring and labs. Nurse called later that day and informed me of follicle sizes and scheduled another monitoring appointment the next morning. Had more monitoring and the nurse called again later that night to clear ya to trigger with Ovidrel. We only had one mature follicle. Our IUI was scheduled 36 hours after that. 2 days after IUI I started on progesterone suppositories twice a day. This cycle failed. Second cycle was the same as the first except they increased the clomid to 100mg instead. One mature follicle again, progesterone twice a day after IUI and another failed cycle. This cycle we started Gonal-F injections 75iu at night from cycle day 3-9 in hopes to mature more eggs. Monitoring from cycle day 7-10 and then got the clear to trigger on cycle day 10 with Ovidrel. I’m in the waiting room for IUI as I type this so nonresuots yet. I will Start progesterone twice a day in two days.

$40 copays for Dr. Luzzo and IUI. Everything else has been covered by insurance except medications that have cost between $250-$300/cycle.

Haven’t had a transfer yet

Somewhat clinical in demeanor but very competent and trustworthy. She listened to my questions and took my feedback into consideration when planning treatment. We did not see her very often, though - just the initial consultation, and right before our IVF cycle.

Prepare any questions that you have ahead of time.

Antagonist protocol using gonal f, menopur, and cetrotide. Stimmed for 10 days. Retrieval of 35 eggs - 31 mature, 20 fertilized with ICSI, 10 embryos frozen, 1 fresh embryo transferred, resulting in a singleton pregnancy.

With the exception of a few long back-ups, I was usually able to get in and out within 30 minutes early in the morning before work.

Unsure - billed directly to insurance.

Single embryo transfer seems to be the policy unless there is a compelling reason otherwise. We were educated (and dissuaded) on multiple embryo transfer.

Dr Luzzo appears knowledgeable but also to be going through the motions at times with not a lot of compassion or concern. At times, I felt like I had to advocate for myself and do my own research and then ask about things. She tended to talk fast and made me feel rushed.

Be prepared to advocate and speak up

I have had 3 IUIs. The first was with 50mg Clomid and the next two we bumped up to 100mg. I asked to use progesterone suppositories after the first IUI due to my short cycle length. I did OPK the first cycle. Then I missed my surge one month. The next two IUIs I did blood test monitoring only to detect my surge. I am in the two week wait now after my third IUI.

Most was out of pocket IUI is about $450

I think Dr. Luzzo was exactly what we wanted in a doctor. She was better than our previous one who had a better reputation. She was candid, but kind and gave us the straight up answers when we asked questions. She didn't sugarcoat things and we liked that.

Just be ready to hear the truth. She will give it to you.

It was a pretty standard IVF cycle, although she did provide a little different protocol in terms of the drugs and increased the estrogen for the treatment.

Most of the appointments were in the early morning so it was first come, first serve. That can be a little nerve wracking, but I got into my appointments all the time before I went to work.

Our insurance covered practically all of the costs and Dr. Luzzo was honest with us about additional procedures like Donor Eggs and PGS. We actually saved some money based upon her advice regarding Donor Eggs.

Boston IVF only does single transfer to prevent multiples. Our previous doctor did not. We did have a pregnancy with the previous clinic, but it resulted in a miscarriage.

When I first met Dr. Luzzo I had just experienced my third miscarriage. This last miscarriage was after a round of clomid. She was extremely thorough with treatment options. Due to my one blocked Fallopian tube she explained what she believed to be the safest option for pregnancy for me. She was to the point but also sensitive to what we were going through.

Trust the process. It takes a lot of time.

Since I have a blocked Fallopian tube, she explained that IVF would be the safest option since that is the only treatment to bypass the tubes. I had gone through ectopic pregnancies and she did not want that to occur again. As I was young (28 years old) and the 5 day embryos looked good, she wanted to use a fresh embryo for transfer. That was unsuccessful. I voiced my concern about the progesterone suppository and asked for the injections and she willingly prescribed them for my next transfer. We waited a month in between the fresh and frozen embryo transfer so my body could “normalize” before the frozen embryo transfer. The frozen embryo transfer resulted in a positive pregnancy test and after week 10 I “graduated” out of the fertility clinic to a regular OB. 29 weeks after my graduation from Boston IVF, I gave birth to my daughter.

Pleasant. The ultrasound tech was one of my favorites. I was sad when I knew it was the last time I would be seeing her, even though it was a good outcome

With the IVF procedures and medications, about $25,000

Originally they planned to use ICSI, but did not have to. The plan was for single embryo transfers and I was happy about that.

Dr. Luzzo was professional and informative. She made it a priority to understand our priorities in terms of how we wanted to approach treatment and meet us where we where we were. She did not display too much emotion or caring.

I think she practices evidence based fertility care and works to meet the needs of her patients. She does not seem particularly warm, so may not be the best fit for someone looking for that kind of rapport.

Did 3 cycles of ovulation induction with Clomid and 3 IUIs. I think she was appropriate based on my age and history in recommending moving on to IVF without pushing IVF. I had a high AMH so used relatively lower dose gonadotropin in antagonist protocol. Ultimately was a worse responder than would have been predicted based on AMH, 10 eggs retrieved with 6 mature. Had one fresh transfer which resulted in a singleton live birth. Subsequent frozen embryo transfer failed.

Convenient scheduling. Clinic ran on time. I also made sure I was there first everyday I had monitoring, so that might have helped.

Insurance coverage for fertility related procedures in Massachusetts ! Costs in total less than $300 during treatment. Paid ~ $150 / month in storage fees starting a year after retrieval.

We did not discuss in detail transferring multiple embryos. It was assumed that we would proceed with SET which was appropriate in our case.

She is a very personable Dr, she goes out of her way to explain things and make sure you get to decide what happens and how. She is also upfront with what will work and what will not and seems to be knowledgeable about treatment options

Be honest with your expectations and what it is you want

Lots of blood work to check hormones etc, then uterine cavity check turned out I had cysts which I had removed surgically, had a sonohysteogram because I had a tubal reversal and needed to make sure tubes were open, 1 iui with a negative and waiting for Ivf now.

I've spent thousands so far and can't get my ivf right now bc I can't afford the meds another 1200 out of pocket per cycle of ivf if first doesn't work

Very nice but definitely felt like a number. Didn’t talk to you like a person. More like you were beneath her. She did however let us make decisions on things which I appreciated. When something didn’t work she helped figure out an alternative.

Advocate for yourself!

Fresh transfer with Crinone - ended in miscarriage Medicated Frozen transfer with Progesterone injection - failed Natural Frozen transfer with Crinone - ended in live Singleton birth

The best! The ultrasound tech (Heidi?) and the phlebotomist (Crystal) we’re both amazing and helped me get through everything, including a miscarriage.

Dr. Luzzo was caring and thorough but in the end did not have enough experience for my case. She classified me as being in the small population with normal tests and no pregnancies. Another doctor later found things she missed.

Don't be afraid to move on if things are not working

Dr. Luzzo tried several different FET protocols and did find one that gave me good lining

Monitoring is always well run and you see people you know. They know your name and ask how you are as a person. They genuinely care about your cycles and take an interest in you.

We had no costs other than our insurance deductible

She was supportive of eSET and my desire to not have multiples

She explained everything in great detail. She clearly knows her stuff. The amount of information delivered is however overwhelming, making it hard to retain. I also did not feel seen as a person as she seemed emotion-less, which probably had nothing to do with me but has made appointments a bit uncomfortable.

Do not expect warmth

Until now monitored IUI was recommended. Moving forward IVF is recommended due to unexplained infertility

Regular IUI $450. Monitored IUI: $1050. unsure otherwise

She was always polite, happy and willing to re-explain things the best way she could so that way we could understand. I never hesitated to ask a question because I knew she wouldn’t mind answering it.

Go in with no expectations and an open mind.

I don’t recall any specific treatment strategies or treatments I just remember starting on birth control from the beginning and doing a bunch of medication after that. I think it was almost 40 pokes between the meds and the labs by the time we were done! Luckily they have the best lab techs their because that woman was a god send! And now our first little IVF baby will be three in a few weeks and we are trying to do the same thing again!

First round cost maybe $12,000 without any storage fees included. Procedure and meds.

She emphasized only transferring one to keep the safety for mom and baby and the highest level they could. Which looking back I now respect because the goal is one baby safety. I respect her decision. If she was designed to be a twin I want it to split in its own not double my chances willingly.

As a patient I feel happy to see Dr. luzzo. She is kind, knowledgeable and sets realistic expectations and gives you all the information you didn’t even know you needed. She went over every risk with every step and also gave statistics with the treatment options. I left satisfied after every appointment

No advice, just would say that they are in great and capable hands

Dr. Luzzo started me on a low dose of Clomid for 5 days to begin with and monitoring appointments every other day after cycle day 10

I had about $400 in out of pocket costs due to my insurance

N/a

I felt like a number to her. I saw her for a year and talked to her four times. I would ask questions and a nurse would try to answer them not the actual doctor. I told her what I wanted to do I’m certain situations. She said that it wasn’t a problem and then didn’t do what she promised.

Go somewhere else

She was recommended by a doctor who I trust. She was not warm and I barely met with her. Communication with her amd with the clinic was limited and there was not enough information passed along to me at times.

If you don't need a personal touch, she may be an ok choice.

She wanted me to do IVF or medicated IUI due to my age. She let me do unmedicated IUI since it was my choice.

Dr. Luzzo is caring and sympathetic. She made us feel like she was doing all that she could do help our situation. Even when it came down to insurance issues she put her all into figuring it out for us. She has made our experience so far more comfortable.

My advice would be to always keep an open mind and be patient. Our news was not what we wanted to hear but we put our trust in Dr.Luzzo and we feel she will hive us the end result we are looking for.

I have a uterine anomaly which has caused reoccurrent pregnancy loss. Dr.Luzzo has consulted with other doctors on the team regarding my situation. Our next step is to have surgery to repair the uterus and remove scar tissue and then start our IVF cycle.

Pgs testing will cost us around $3500. IVF is covered with a $125 copay. I've had 2 uterine surgeries with a $125 copay each. I will also have copays for the medications associated with IVF

She recommended single embryo transfer due to our high risk situation.

She is caring and passionate about her job. She truly treats each patient with respect and importance. She wants to help you have a family just as much as you want one. She’s honest and kind. She is accommodating to patients needs and fears and reassure you Along the way. She answered all my questions and had a plan set in place but was flexiable when things came up.

Be honest and open so she can treat you property .

I had a lot of tests with her regarding my endometriosis and she put me on birth control and ordered all My hormones. I do not know the specifics but i could get them. She performed a surgery to prep me for hormones and egg retrieval To clean out my endo. However just at the 2 week mark of my birth control i got the call to set up an appointment to go over dosages and how to administrate them and my husband also got the news his company was bought out and our new insurance would start. Well dr luzzo did everything she could to find out if my new insurance would cover it . She was hopeful that it would ordered my medication had me continue my appointments and knew i was ready to start. I had all my dates lined up for injections ultra sounds etc . Within days my entire world turned when i found out my husbands insurance did not cover a single thing in IVF and we would have to pay out of pocket. I was at a stop sign in our journey and could not move forward for financial reasons. Dr luzzo checked in on me and was very compassionate about the situation and even offered all different options for payment.

My insurance paid 100 percent